Huberdeau Puts Up Three Points In Win

FINAL: Germany 3, Canada 9

Jonathan Huberdeau and Team Canada opened up the 2013 World Junior Hockey Championship with a 9-3 victory over Germany in Ufa, Russia.

Canada led just 2-1 after the first period but exploded in the second to lead 7-3 after 40 minutes. They added two more in the third to win 9-3.

The top line of Huberdeau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Mark Scheifele had a very productive day. Huberdeau was one of Canada’s top forwards, recording a goal, two assists, three shots on goal, and a +1 rating.

Also scoring for Canada was Scheifele (2), Nugent-Hopkins, Xavier Ouellet, Ryan Strome, Jonathan Drouin, Tyler Wotherspoon, and Ty Rattie. Malcolm Subban made 25 saves for the win in net.

Just as everyone expected, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defenseman Xavier Ouellet opened the scoring at 3:01 on the power play to give Canada a 1-0 lead.

Canada made it 2-0 at 9:36. Huberdeau sent a nice pass from the blue line down low to Nugent-Hopkins who beat German netminder Elmar Trautmann.

JC Lipon headed to the box at 19:03. Germany got on the board less than 30 seconds later as Kitchener Rangers forward Tobias Rieder scored, sending hundreds of Canadians to social media to overreact about the penalties and the goaltending

Shots in the opening frame were 14-12 in favour of Team Canada.

Huberdeau took a tripping penalty 21 seconds into the second period. While shorthanded, Mark Scheifele scored to make it 3-1 Canada.

On yet another man advantage at 4:24, Dougie Hamilton was along the boards and sent a perfect pass to Huberdeau who beat Trautmann blocker side to make it 4-1 Team Canada. A replay shown on TSN during intermission showed that the play should have been whistled offside.

The puck came out in front to Ty Rattie at 12:22. He went around Trautmann to give Canada a 5-1 advantage. Then Ryan Strome connected thanks to a great feed from Jonathan Drouin. That made it 6-1 at 13:48.

Germany scored some goal at 16:22 to make it 6-2. They made it a 6-3 game at 18:14 thanks to a brutal Canadian turnover by Mark McNeill.

Canada headed to the dressing room with a 7-3 lead thanks to a late by Scheifele. Nugent-Hopkins and Huberdeau picked up assists. Shots in the second period were 14-9 Canada.

Drouin scored a beauty at 4:46 to make it eight for Canada. Tyler Wotherspoon scored Canada’s final goal in a quick third period at 17:03 to make it a 9-3 Canadian final. Shots were 18-7 Canada.

Some notes…

• Shawinigan Cataractes goaltender Marvin Cupper was Germany’s backup.
• According to people on Twitter the attendance was 3,618.
• Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was named Canada’s player of the game.
• Canada takes on Slovakia on Friday.